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I did dossiers on the Kato Kaelin like character in the recent burglary news and arrest of suspect Kariem McFarlin -- for stealing 60K in goods and Apple iPads from the late Steve Jobs family home in Palo Alto.

His name is Kenny the Clown -- legally Kenneth Kahn, 47, of Alameda. Police found him with one of the stolen Jobs iPads, a 64GB "gift" from the clown's long time buddy, the suspect McFarlin.

The first thing I thought when I saw Apple unveil the Siri voice-recognition assistant was: would it understand my American South dialect of English, the one I revert to when not broadcasting? Here's a great piece from the folks of TechRadar looking into another aspect of that. Watch A New Domain unplugged (soon anewdomain.net) for my curated list of videos examining Siri with various English dialects and accented English.

When Apple revealed Siri to the world, people gaped at its amazing powers of voice recognition.

Meanwhile, Glaswegians the world over turned to each other and said, "Aye, weel. We'll see aboot tha', pal."

Which got us thinking – just how well can Siri handle the accents of the world? And thus we took to the international population of TechRadar HQ to find out.

Here's the video the TechRadar guy produced -- it'll make you smile -- but it also made me wonder about lesser accents, like my regional American South dialect. Watch here for my curated list of Siri with accented voices videos. It'll help us all decide if Apple Siri is worth bothering with, ya'll.

Asian display makers LG and Samsung are reportedly having trouble with yield rates in making the 2048 x 1536 resolution retina display in the upcoming Apple iPad 3. That's about 264 pixels per inch (PPI), twice the resolution of the current iPad 2. Will Apple's ambitions for the retina display of the much-rumored tablet slow its expected spring release? Maybe the iPhone 4, with its 326 pixel density, stretches capabilities to the limit. We'll be watching. CNET has a great report on this today.This from CNET's Brooke Crothers:

The follow-on to Apple's popular iPad 2 is expected to arrive as early as the first quarter of next year. And Apple is aiming high, as usual. The goal is to have a Retina Display-like resolution on the iPad 3, according to the source who is in contact with Asia-based suppliers who, in turn, are familiar with Apple's plans.

Apple defines a Retina Display as having "pixel density is so high your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels." For the iPhone 4S that means a 960×640, 3.5-inch display that packs in 326 pixels per inch (PPI). At about 12 inches from the eye, this is the most amount of detail the human retina can see, according to Apple.

That's dense. In fact, so dense that you won't see that level of density on an iPad 3 with a Retina Display--if it's in fact called that. Nor is it even necessary because typically the iPad's screen isn't held that close to the face.

The closest that iPad display manufacturers like LG Display and Samsung can get is 2048x1536 resolution display, according to the source. That's a PPI of 264, twice the 132 PPI on the iPad 2.

But whether manufacturers can make them in volumes that Apple demands is the question. "They have production plans for 2,048x1,536 displays. Starting in November. But those are only plans at this point," said the source, referring to LG and Samsung.

"It's not a question of making just one. That, of course, can be done. The challenge is making lots of them," the source said. "This is a quantum leap in pixel density. This hasn't been done before."

If manufacturers are not able to hit the volumes necessary for the higher resolution, there is an interim option of 1,600 x 1,200, according to the source.

The display is also expected to have a brightness of 550 nits. That's pretty bright, as the typical laptop display panel tops out at about 350 nits.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's media extravaganza next week is being greeted with unusual calm, as it is uncertain if charismatic CEO Steve Jobs will appear and investors have nothing much to bet on apart from new iPods with cameras.

Apple's stock has often swung wildly and rumors have swirled about game-changing products ahead of such events, but this time the stock has held steady in the two weeks leading up to the September 9 event.

Few expect any surprises, but the potential is always there, given the host's track record.

Apple has traditionally held a September gathering where master showman Jobs showed off new iPods for the holiday season and trumpeted new content for iTunes.

Revamped iPods are again on tap this year. But much of the focus has been on whether Jobs will make his first public appearance since taking medical leave in January, and what new partners or services Apple may bring into its booming online store.

Rumors also continue to rumble that the Beatles catalog may finally be coming to iTunes, but such speculation is not new and many are doubtful.

Some analysts think Jobs is unlikely to show up, as other members of Apple's management team have become more visible in his absence.

"It would be great if he (Jobs) does appear, but I'm not expecting it," said Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu. "Most investors have moved beyond that."

"It shouldn't have a material impact on the stock if he doesn't," he said, noting that it could edge higher.

Apple's stock, which is up more than 90 percent so far this year, has been relatively tame this week as expectations have been subdued. But analysts don't foresee a bold new product announcement at the event, such as the long-rumored tablet device, that would immediately boost the stock.